Church-Key Holy Smoke

Brewed by Church-Key Brewing
Style: Smoked
Pethericks Corners, Canada

Rich ruby-brown colour with an off-white head. Aroma of wood, malt and (of course) smoke. The body is a bit on the light side, but once the peaty smoked flavour kicks in, that's the least of your worries. It's not the most perfectly balanced beer I've ever had, but that whisky-like smoke flavour just warms my tummy every time.

12 oz bottle, via acertain. Pours an opaque dark reddish brown with a nice two finger fizzy head that settled to a creamy film. Beige in color, it left some nice lacing. Aroma is nicely peaty with a touch of campfire smoke and a hearty smoked meat overtone. The malt is strong and there’s a touch of alcohol. There is a slight acetic bite that grabs you at the sides of the tongue that eventually gets overtaken by the peat on the finish, but it comes across as a defect to me. No room for vinegar in a Smoked. Mouthfeel is watery in texture with an active soft carbonation level. The finish is very astringent and drying. This started with alot of potential, but the flavor just didn’t deliver. I’s like to try another bottle and see if this was off or not.

Bottle: Poured a black color ale with medium head with very little retention. Aroma is lightly smoked with some strong malt. Taste is quite enjoyable, almost like a mix between a light scotch ale with some notes of malt a little bit of smoke. As previously mentioned in past rating, body is a bit thin and I’m not sure this should be considered a smoke ale since there is very little smoke in this.

Veyr good in taste, but these beers are good for one time in a while. Veyr smoked, with strong taste. Brown in colour and special foam. Carefull with it because =can finish the session.

Deep brown body with a fading, minimal tan head. Aroma has the smoke up front but some nice, sweet dark caramel maltiness underneath. Sweet, malty scotch flavor with nicely integrated smokiness and notes of chocolate and butterscotch. Good, smoked mild scotch ale.

On tap at the pub italia ottawa. Aroma:Smoke and caramel. Apearance:black-brown with a good cream head Flavor:Smoke and torefaction

Deep cranberry juice-red body, thin buff head. Toasty aroma, earthy peat, and smoke, but the latter is not overpowering. The body, though, is replete with smokehouse flavors, blending with caramels, toast, and dark fruits with a tart kick and finish. Reasonably tasty, but I get the feeling that behind the smoke lurks a rather thin, ordinary beer. Thanks Paul (blankboy) for the bottle!

Draught. Subtle smoked-style aroma, not so much as say the Schlenkerla. Brown-mocha colour with a brownish head. I thought it was quite pleasant: the big malt flavours, and a satisfying bitter finish. Smokiness was subtle just as in the aroma. But all-in-all it’s a great refreshing beer.